Compensation for Ecosystem Services (CES): a catalyst for ecosystem conservation and poverty alleviation?
2004
R. Wenger (ed) | C. Rogger (ed) | S. Wymann von Dach (ed)
This document looks at the use of Compensation Ecosystem Services (CES) as a potential catalyst for ecosystem conservation and poverty alleviation. It aims to improve understanding of the concept and also discusses the key challenges faced in implementation of CES. <br /><br />It is argued that favourable political, legal and institutional conditions, as well as conducive governance structures, are necessary for the establishment and successful implementation of CES mechanisms. The paper also highlights the importance of presenting a more realistic picture of the state of natural resources in national economic accounting. <br />The authors note that there are virtually no guidelines for concrete elaboration of CES mechanisms. However, certain steps are inevitable in implementing them, starting with the acknowledgement of the importance of ecosystem services, and ending with realisation based on concrete agreements about the type and amount of services to be provided. <br /><br />The paper concludes with a number of factors which are crucial to the successful implementation of pro-poor CES mechanisms. These include: clear definition and assignment of ownership rights and rights of use for natural resources <br /> sufficient information, adequate training, and specifically tailored education for farmers, in order to demonstrate to them the contribution they can make through sustainable land management and how their labour can be valued <br /> institutional strengthening of social organisations among poor population groups as an important precondition for participating in markets.
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